We both turn our heads to find that we have an audience. The rest of the class has come inside without us realising and are standing in a group, looking at us like we’re the sweetest thing they’ve ever seen.
Coral winks at me, beaming.
My face brightens to the point where I think it matches my hair. I groan and cover my face with my hands. Joel wraps his arms around me and pulls me against his chest.
It feels safe and warm here, and there’s a vibration against my skin as he chuckles. “All right, show’s over. How about you all get ready for class. We're starting in five minutes.”
“If I get here early next week, will you kiss me like that, Joel?” I still have my face covered so I don't really know who said it, but I turn pretty quickly to try and figure it out. Whoever that forward bitch is will be my sparring partner today.
“I'm a one-woman guy, Susan. And the last I checked you were happily married with two kids.”
The women clucks like a brood of hens, finding the whole situation hilarious. Joel, with a huge smile, urges me to go warm up with them. “Dinner tonight?” he asks.
“And a movie?” I nod, the smile pushing at my cheeks.
“Sure. And maybe we could even get you a new phone?”
The phone sitting on my kitchen table flashes through my mind. “I actually have a replacement at home.”
He lifts his brow. “And you’re not using it?”
I think about the reason behind me refusing the phone—Flynn—but decide that telling Joel those reasons would be a bad idea. “The idea of starting again from scratch is kind of daunting.”
“You know you can back up your phone and transfer it across to the new one, right?”
I press my lips together. “I did not know that.”
“I’ll show you how,” he says, turning away to finish his prep for class.
When I walk over to Coral, I can’t wipe the smile from my face, enjoying the fact that something seems to be happening here. He wants me. A nice guy wants me. Perhaps I can change my life after all.
8
DECIDING TO SKIP my run on the treadmill in favour of gasbagging with Coral about Joel kissing me, we head to Bondi Beach.
“Was it as amazing as it looked?” Coral asks. It’s a cool morning, Autumn is curling its fingers around the city, reducing the temperature and stripping trees of their leaves. So, we wrap ourselves in jackets and grab warm drinks for our hands.
Trudging through the sand, I smile as I recall the way his mouth felt on mine. “Yeah. It was really nice. Soft, sweet. It felt... loving, I guess.” I laugh at my own choice of words. “Not that we’re anywhere near that kind of feeling. But it’s the only way I can think to describe the type of kiss. It wasn’t hungry, it was somewhere much sweeter than that.”
She points to the pile of towels that belong to Shane and his friends. “I get what you mean. You’re saying that he was tender.”
I click my fingers together. “Tender—yes, that’s a better word for it.”
“Well, he seems really nice, Ruby. I’m happy you’ve found someone.”
“Just in time so I won’t be lonely when you leave me?” I say it half-heartedly. I’m not trying to hurt her feelings, I’m just not looking forward to the day she leaves.
“That’s not what I mean, but yeah. It makes me feel a little better about leaving.”
We steal the boys’ towels to sit on and look out to the water, a silence falling between us as we watch surfers navigate the waves.
“I’ve always wanted to learn how to surf,” I say, changing the subject after I see some guy do this massive spinning flip before dropping off the back of the wave.
“You should learn. I’d do it with you, but it scares the shit out of me,” Coral replies, sipping her tea.
“I didn’t think you were afraid of anything.”
She laughs. “I think you’re talking about yourself there.”
I scoff. “I’m scared of about a million things.”
“It doesn’t show. I mean, besides the obsessive locking of the apartment, I would think you were completely fearless.”
“You should’ve met me before. Back then, I really was.”
Shane whistles out to us as he and Elliot exit the water. “No time like the present,” Coral says when they start toward us.
I take up the challenge. “So, can girls surf or is this a boys-only thing?"
Shane answers with a shrug. “I reckon you can do whatever you want, Rubes. No one’s stopping you.” He takes the towel Coral hands him and dries his hair.
“Do you have a board?” Elliot asks.
I stand up and dust the sand off my backside, glancing to where Brad and my least favourite person, Flynn, are. They’ve just left the water and Flynn is shaking his hair like a dog. The water sprays outward and catches the light of the morning sun. He and Brad share a joke of some sort, laughing while they carry their boards our way. Flynn reaches behind his back and pulls the cord that zips up his wetsuit, dragging it down his muscular body one-handed until it’s resting about his waist.
I take a mouthful of my coffee, my mouth suddenly dry.
“Ruby?”
“Huh?” I turn my attention back to Elliot, blinking.
“I asked if you have a board or a wetsuit.”
Flynn catches my eye and nods, acknowledging me. I think Brad waves. Why is Flynn suddenly a part of this group?
“Ruby?”
Knitting my brow, I meet Elliot’s clear blue eyes. “Does it matter? Can’t I borrow them?”
“Sure. You can rent some up at the surf shop. They have lessons you can sign up for, too.”
“Can’t one of you teach me?” I ask.
“What’s going on?” Brad asks as he jams the end of his surfboard into the soft sand.
“Ruby wants to learn surfing,” Shane informs him.
“Wanna teach me?” I ask Brad, tilting my head and batting my eyelashes comically.
Brad shakes his head. “Not today, I'm afraid. We have to get to the in-laws’ before twelve. It’s Cody’s dad’s birthday and we’re having lunch.”
"Shane?" My gaze shifts straight to him, doing my best to avoid locking eyes with Flynn again. Why can’t he just leave?
Shane opens his mouth with panic in his eyes. I can see the rejection being calculated in his mind before the words even come out. "I can't—"
"I'll do it," Flynn pipes up. "There's even a spare board in my van."
"I didn’t ask you. Shane?"
“We’ve all got stuff to do, Ruby,” Shane says apologetically. “Me and Coral have a shit-ton of stuff to organise. Elliot and Paige are taking their kids to the zoo, and Brad just told you he’s busy. You can either wait until next week, or you can take Flynn up on his generous offer. Even though I have no fucking clue why he’d want to help you when you’re always such a bitch to him.”
“Shane!” Coral and I yell his name in unison.
He blinks, unbothered. “It’s true. She treats him like shit.”
“In her defence, I did slam into her and break her phone. I haven’t made the best impression so far,” Flynn admits.
I hold my hand out, gesturing toward him as evidence. “See? Even he knows he’s a douche.”
“I didn’t say I was a douche. I’m just acknowledging that the circumstances through which we met were less than ideal. Then there was the magpie swoop and all. How is your head, anyway?”
“I knew you saw that.” I curl my fingers back so only one is pointing at him in accusation.
He reaches up and places his hand over mine, lowering it so I’m no longer pointing in his face. “Would you like to learn how to surf or not?” he asks, his voice calm but his eyes amused. I can’t believe he thinks me getting swooped by a magpie is funny.
“Not.”
“Suit yourself,” he says, releasing my hand. Instantly, my other hand moves to cover where his was, needing to soothe the heat left behind.
Coral reaches up and
pulls at the back of my jacket. “Maybe you should let him,” she says, her voice conspiratorially low.
“Are you mental?”
She shrugs, looking between us. “The guys swear he’s stand-up. I trust Shane’s judgement.”
“Better than mine?”
“I trust mine too. Don’t forget I’ve spent time with him. I really like him, and I think you would too if you could let go of the way you met.” She nods toward him. “He’s obviously not going anywhere. May as well see if you can find a way to get along for the sake of the group.”
Become friends with Flynn. I don’t know if I can do that. I turn to look at him, his eyes catching mine immediately. My body responds despite my mind. I get a jolt in my chest. My breathing is a little faster than I’d like it. My skin is warmer than I appreciate, and everything is vibrating within me. His lips twist upward on one side. It’s the tiniest of smiles, one that’s only meant for me.
Closing my eyes, I look away and take a deep breath. My problem with Flynn isn’t just that the police were chasing him when we met. He’s also the exact guy I normally go for, and having him around could ruin everything I’ve been working to change.
“What if I don’t want to like him?”
“I’m not asking you to fall in love with the guy, Ruby. Just try to get along for the sake of the group. You know I wouldn’t even suggest this if I believed there was any way he’d do something to hurt someone.”
“I know, and I don’t get that from him. I just....” Think he’s beautiful and the way he looks at me sets my skin on fire. Pressing my lips together, I push the thought deep down in the back of my mind, frowning. That kind of thought shouldn’t even be there.
“Just what?”
“Just want to surf,” I lie. “I guess it doesn’t really matter who teaches me.” I roll my eyes to hide my discomfort, reminding myself that I’m in control. I choose my destiny; it doesn’t choose me. Tonight, I’ll have my date with Joel and everything will still be on track.
“You can teach her, Flynn,” Coral calls out, leaning around me and smiling at him.
He folds his arms across his chest. “Gee, I’m honoured.” Then he looks at me. “I don’t want you to do me any favours, little one.”
Taking a breath, I keep my gaze steady. “You’re the one doing the favour. I’m just accepting.”
With a hint of a smile playing on his lips, he nods toward the street. “Let’s go get you that board.”
“And we need to hire a wetsuit.”
“We’ll do that first.”
Saying goodbye to everyone else, I follow him up to the street.
“Don't think this means I like you,” I say after a few steps.
“I don’t think anything when it comes to you,” he responds.
“What does that mean?”
“It means you have your own mind and I don’t pretend to guess what’s going on in there.” Then he picks up the pace and I struggle to keep up.
***
"You're a natural." He smiles broadly after I’ve caught my first wave, dimples appearing in his cheeks. We’ve been here most of the day and I’m only just managing to stay standing on the smallest of waves.
I sit up on my board, legs dangling either side of it into the water below. "You're just saying that because you want to get into my pants."
He laughs. "You're pretty fucking sure of yourself."
"Not me. I'm sure of you. I'm sure of your intentions when your eyes flicker downward like they tend to do." I wipe a hand over my face, collecting beads of water that are trickling down from my wet hair.
"What if I told you I had a girlfriend?"
"Then you'd be an asshole for the things that cross your mind when you look at me." I meet his gaze. It’s full of... curiosity. Perhaps astonishment?
"You seem so sure that you know what's going on in my head, but you barely know me."
"I know you, Flynn. Different face, different place, but I've met you many times before. And for my own safety, you're best avoided."
"Your own safety? What the hell do you think I'm capable of?"
Destroying me. The words float through my mind, telling a truth that will never pass my lips.
Swinging my legs back, I lie forward on the board. "That's something I'm not interested in finding out."
I don’t wait for him to respond, choosing instead to paddle away.
9
“SO, YOU JUST left his board and the beach and came home?” Coral asks, standing on the other side of the counter while I make a chocolate hazelnut milkshake in the blender.
“Yep.” With all the ingredients inside, I hit the pulse button and hold it until it looks smooth. “Want some?” I offer when the noise stops and she’s still standing there.
“No,” she asserts, the look in her eyes saying something else as she watches it pour into my glass. “Did you even thank him for spending the whole damn day teaching you to surf?”
I suck some chocolate sauce off my thumb, making a smacking sound. “Nope.”
Licking her lips while she watches me lift the shake to drink, she changes her mind about having one. “Just a small glass.”
I pour her a full one, dropping a straw into it before I hand it to her. “Why are you so interested in my surfing lesson? I just came back from a date with Joel.” I gesture at the pretty off-the-shoulder pastel pink sweater I’m wearing with my best jeans. “Aren't you interested in how that went?”
She takes a long sip of her shake. “Sure I am.” Her hand does this dismissive wave.
I copy it. “What's that about?”
“Nothing. I think Joel is great. You know I do.”
“But you'd rather talk about Flynn?”
Her face tightens a little. “Well, I....” She hesitates.
“Spit it out, Coral.”
“I saw the way you looked at Flynn when he was coming out of the water.”
“So? I was surprised that he was there again.”
She gets this dreamy look on her face and sighs. “You didn't look that way with Joel after he kissed you.”
“Annoyed?”
With this dumb grin plastered across her face, she shakes her head. “Distracted.”
“Distracted isn’t a good thing. It’s the cause of most vehicle fatalities.”
Stirring her shake, she pulls the straw out and licks the creamy residue from its length before dunking it back in. “Distracted is the best kind of thing when it involves boys who look like Flynn. Are you sure Joel is the guy you want?”
“Yes,” I snap, grabbing the blender jug and filling it with hot water. “He’s the perfect guy. He’s kind, he has—”
“A good job, nice hair, yadda, yadda. I’ve heard the list before.”
“Coral.” Her words hit me like slapping hands.
Pressing her lips together, her expression softens. “I’m sorry. I don’t want you to miss out on the right guy just because you’re focused on a list you created at a time when your life was in the toilet.”
“Joel is the right guy, Coral. I didn’t make the list because my life was shit. I made the list because I finally sat down and decided what I want out of life. I want a family, and I want stability. Flynn—who thinks hitting the hat off a policeman’s head is funny, and who performs death-defying stunts for kicks—isn’t the guy who can give me that. Joel is.” I put my milkshake in the sink with the jug, suddenly not in the mood for it anymore. “I’m going to bed.”
“Ruby, I’m sorry. Come back and tell me all about your date.”
“Goodnight, Coral,” I say, closing my door.
***
The next morning, I wake to the smell of raspberry and white chocolate muffins baking in the oven—Coral’s go-to apology offering.
“I hope you’re hungry,” she sing-songs. Coral hates arguing and will always do her best to avoid any sort of a fight. Since she’s good at speaking her mind, her baking skills come in handy when she’s trying to undo any verbal damage she t
hinks she might have caused.
“Is there coffee too?”
She smiles. “French pressed.” I sit at the table and plates and cups appear in front of me moments before she sits down. “I really do like Joel, Rubes. I’m sorry I made fun of your list.”
“What about suggesting that I have better chemistry with Flynn?”
I see her eyes flicker slightly. Her mouth opens to say something but she presses her lips back together, obviously deciding better of whatever she was about to say. Then she takes a breath and starts again. “The pheromones you emit are absolutely none of my business, and I’m happy if you’re happy.” That was very diplomatic of her.
“I’m happy, Coral. I really like Joel.”
“Then I’m happy too.” She pats my arm. “I have cream cheese frosting and fresh berries to go with that. Wait one second.”
The moment she steps away, I reach out and grab the box containing my new phone, hiding it on my lap. The last thing I want is for her to analyse my decision to use it.
10
FOR THE NEXT few days, everything runs smoothly. I see Joel twice more—because of his and my work schedules, we can only see each other on Tuesdays and Thursdays—and I talk to him every other day on the phone, now that I’m finally using a working one. So things are going well.
We’re not past first base yet, but I’m not complaining since we’ve only been officially together for just over a week.
All things considered, my life is heading exactly where I want it to. Life is good.
Even a particularly hectic Friday night at work can’t dull my smile, and I’m humming to myself at the end of my shift. I even do a little pirouette before I open my locker to get my things. Grabbing my phone first, I’m expecting there to be a sweet message or a missed call from Joel.
The screen lights up and there’s a message all right. It’s just not from the person I want it to be.
Flynn: Glad you’re finally using the phone I got you.
My heart rate kicks up a notch and I look over my shoulder, frowning to myself and wondering how the hell he could possibly know I’m using it. Also, how did his number get on my contacts list?
A Beautiful Danger (Beautiful #7) Page 6